Credit is due “9News unplugged,” the July 10 newscast by KUSA-Channel 9 that went off almost as usual despite the station being struck by lightning.

“It was all hands on deck,” according to news director Christy Moreno. The strike happened during 9:20 commercial break. “All you would have seen at home was a glitch” when lightning hit the tower. In the newsroom, monitors were flashing on and off randomly. “The switcher went out.”

Everyone in the control room realized it immediately, they couldn’t control anything. When it was clear no one was hurt, engineering, the IT staff, many whom of came back from home, newsroom managers, everybody started planning” how to get the newscast on the air.

“You use every resource, get really creative,” Moreno said. “Engineers are miracle workers.”
Immediately, anchors Adele Arakawa and Kyle Clark and their producers discussed what could be conveyed on iPad, using one microphone, one camera. Despite alarms going off and the fire department probing the building, “it was incredible teamwork.”

Like other stations, KUSA has a backup generator but the switcher is the control panel for the entire show. “Every bit of audio, video, graphics, everything comes through that. They were able to get just enough working, we got Danielle (Grant) back on 9:30, with (weather) maps and one microphone.”

Using one low-tech fixed camera in the newsroom, “by the time 10 p.m. came, they made some magic happen.”

“There’s not a good lightning plan,” Moreno said. “We have emergency plans in place, there are ways to work around, we could have used microwave if hadn’t been lightning…”

The Twitter commentary was lively: “A very different 9News at 10,” Moreno tweeted in the midst of the chaos.

Former staffer Will Ripley, now with CNN, chimed in: “I remember when the audio board caught fire a few years ago. 10p ratings were still great!”

Friday’s 10 p.m. numbers were slightly below average but at least the show got on the air.

Greg Moody, critic at large for CBS4 and champion of Denver arts and culture for more than 25 years, was effectively fired from CBS4 Friday. His contract was not renewed.

With six weeks left on his contract, Moody was told by Channel 4 News Director Tim Wieland that he is being released, and that it will be up to Moody exactly when he leaves. Moody intended to go on-air Friday as planned.

On day three of the Colorado wildfires, Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa told the Wednesday morning press conference that law enforcement and safety experts learned many lessons from last year’s Waldo Canyon Fire. On the media side, there were lessons learned and applied as well.

One is, disregard the inevitable minority of vocal viewers who would rather have golf or ice hockey or “Ellen” on the screen during a local crisis. Denver TV stations dutifully cleared hours of network news and entertainment programming in order to bring dramatic coverage of the wildfires to area viewers. Another is, tiptoe as close to the action as possible without directly disobeying officials. Marshall Zelinger of 7News proved effective at documenting, live, where he was standing in dicey instances so there was no mistake.

Also, while TV news often paints with a broad brush, the little details matter. “Evacuation area boundaries, “mandatory” versus “standby” evacuation, wind direction and wind speed, humidity levels… these details are literally a matter of life and death for our viewers,” CBS4 New Director Tim Wieland said. Real-time reporting is the norm now: 9News chief Patti Dennis said streaming press conferences and use of other “live technology” to take viewers to the story in real time, is mandatory.

Brooke Wagner, lead morning anchor, “Wednesday’s Child” champion and consumer (bargain hunting) reporter at KCNC-Channel 4 for 10 years, had her last day at the end of the 2012 holiday week. Her contract was not renewed. General Manager Walt DeHaven did not elaborate.

Chalk it up to Channel 4’s dismal ratings in the morning. CBS4 was fifth out of five full-hour newscasts, 6-7 a.m., for the November sweeps. Something had to give. Word is Wagner, a solid presence on the overall sleepy morning show, has possibilities elsewhere. The station is expected to take its time finding a replacement.

News Director Tim Wieland aims to “inject the morning news with new energy,” with plans on the production side along with staff changes, not of which is finalized yet.

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.